Heroes of Baldur's Gate
The Heroes of Baldur's Gate was an adventuring company that originated from the city after which they were named. They had exploits in Baldur's Gate References for this article were taken from the Legends of Baldur's Gate omnibus (PDF version) and as such the exact page citations may not match the physical copy or other ebook releases. and traveled to far-off locales such as the Spine of the World mountains and even the foreboding Demiplane of Dread. They made a great many friends and allies during their adventures, along with their fair share of enemies. Members * Delina, a moon elf wild mage who possessed great power tapping into the Weave * Minsc & Boo, the legendary Rashemi berserker and his miniature giant space hamster companion * Krydle, the half-elf thief with a particular distaste for the Baldurian patriar * Shandie Freefoot, a charming but brusque halfling who was skilled with a bow * Nerys Kathon, the brave and relentless cleric of Kelemvor History Origins Like some adventuring parties, the heroes of Baldur's Gate first came together by pure chance. Some time between the , and the , Delina came to the city of Baldur's Gate searching for her estranged brother Deniak. She arrived on the night of a full moon and was set after by a pair of gargoyles who pursued through the Upper City. During the chase, a pair of helpful members of the Watch fell to the stone beasts. Eventually Delina stumbled into famous statue known as the Beloved Ranger in the Wide. When casting at the gargoyles, one of her spells backfired, emitting a wild surge that struck the statue and "brought back" the personalities it depicted — Minsc and Boo. The ranger Minsc mistook Delina for one of his former traveling companions, Neera, with whom he traveled the century prior. The Rashemi berserker defeated the two elemental predators and the pair ran off before they could be apprehended by other guards of Watch. During their escape, the Delina and Minsc rain into two thieves, Krydle and Shandie, who possessed no ill intent but rather offered their newfound "friends" some shelter within their hideout. After some getting to know one another, the thieves agreed to sneak the sorceress, ranger and hamster into the Lower City to evade the grasp of the Watch. Cult of the Dragon The group traveled to the Undercellar and met with The Fetcher. Together, the two parties agree that, in exchange for information of Delina's brother and safe passage to the lower city, Minsc, Delina, Krydle and Shandie would deliver the Fetcher's letter a certain member of the Parliament of Peers. After the meeting, the adventurers were ambushed by agents of the Cult of the Dragon. After routing their attackers and regrouping in their headquarters, Krydle set off to deliver the letter. Minsc followed suit after learning that his old friend Coran, who also happened to be Krydle's father, was the recipient. At the revel, Krydle briefly reunited with his father and delivered the Fetcher's letter, before the cultists attacked again. The fight turned into a rooftop chase, and Delina was captured by the dragon cultists. After a short pursuit the head cultist saw that Delina had been apprehended and immediately killed his subordinates. Taking off his mask, he revealed himself to be Deniak, the brother she had traveled so far to meet again. Deniak brought her to his lair in Brampton, and began to lay out the dark ritual he had prepared to appeal to the yet-returned goddess of dragons, Tiamat. The heroes interrogated one of the cultists and learned about Deniak and his evil scheme, Krydle, Shandie and Minsc set out for Brampton. Meanwhile, Delina spoke with her brother, learning that he intended to use her wild magic power in order he could stand toe-to-toe with Tiamat rather than bend to her will. The heroes broke into Deniak's lair and found Delina immobilized, with the dark ritual already underway. While they defeated the hobgoblin minions, they were unable to stop Deniak in time and he transformed into a red dragon, causing a huge explosion in the Lower City. The red dragon Deniak clutched Delina in its massive talon and took to the air. Using their combined efforts, the four companions, and Boo, brought the unnatural beast crashing to the ground before delivering a killing blow. While the citizens of Baldur's Gate rejoiced, the heroes regrouped and quietly celebrated the victory in their hideout. They decided to continue helping solve problems in the city together as friends. Journey to Barovia For one of their next jobs, the Heroes of Baldur's Gate were hired by Father Alby to watch over and protect the temple of Kelemvor in the Lower City. There they met Nerys, the brave and outspoken cleric who also served the Lord of the Dead. On their first night of duty, the temple was assaulted by a pair of werewolves and a score of risen skeletons. Unfortunately, the evil shapechangers managed to abduct Nerys, Boo and steal cache of relics before fleeing to their lair. Thanks to Boo's efforts, the heroes tracked down the werewolves' hideout and began to rescue their friends. During the fight, a particular locket, which originated from the otherworldly realm of Barovia, created a thick fog that began to fill the air. The fog quickly filled the room and the heroes, the Kelemvorite Nerys, along with the two werewolves and their associate Sangin, were all transported to the Demiplane of Dread. As the Heroes of Baldur's Gate attempted to get their wits about them, they were quickly seperated from those they just fought against. An aggressive colony of bats enveloped the ground and whisked Sangin away while the werewolves Dron and Utna left them to their fate. The group recovered the locket that transported them from Faerûn and stumbled across a caravaneer circus. After Minsc has his fortune read by a seer and the group saved a runaway wagon that was being assaulted by ghouls, they found refuge for the night at a nearby vineyard. During the night, Delina and Krydle were each beset by horrific dreams that put them in a trance-like state. Without knowing it, Delina nearly strangled Krydle to death before Shandie woke them out of the stupor. The following day was just as grim. While the group was deeply troubled by what they have experienced they managed to soldier on to the town of Vallaki. They were taken aback by the dour and joyless demeanor of everyone they met. After the group disrupted a bizarre and troubling "festival", they were assaulted by the recently-risen Sangin, a pack of werewolves and three vampires who served the master of Barovia. The heroes fought valiantly and, although Nerys was bitten by one of the lycanthropes, they battle turned in their favor. Just after the Barovian monstrosities turned on one other, Strahd himself appeared, to claim the locket that was hidden away on Toril. He briefly toyed with the heroes, before besting them in combat and reclaiming the relic he sought. The otherworldly power within the amulet assaulted Strahd in the form of his brother, distracting him momentarily. Seizing the opportunity Delina grabbed the amulet and focused on escape. Despite the trauma they had collectively endured, the group banded together and a flash of white light engulfed them all. Giants of the North Although they were not sure how, the burst of energy from the amulet transported the heroes back to Toril, in the Spine of the World mountains, over a thousand miles away from Baldur's Gate. As Nerys was gravely injured during their fight with Strahd, Minsc carried her as the group sought shelter from the piercing wind and snow. Finding a nearby cave they regrouped emotionally. While they shared their self-doubt and bleak outlook on their situation, the group did not turn on another when danger approached. They defeated a band of ogres, with help from their new ally Saarvin, and set out for the nearby settlement of Fireshear. Appendix Notes References Category:Adventuring companies Category:Organizations in Baldur's Gate Category:Organizations on the Sword Coast Category:Organizations in the Western Heartlands Category:Organizations in West Faerûn Category:Organizations in Faerûn Category:Organizations on Toril